Effects of Duration of Sleep on Visual Reaction Time in First Year Dental Students
Description
Introduction: The recommended duration of sleep is 7-9 hours for adults as per The National Sleep Foundation, US. Sleep of shorter duration (< 7 hours per night) in adults causes Sleep Deprivation (SD). Reaction Time (RT) is the interval between the onset of a stimulus and the commencement of a movement response. Reaction time has been most frequently used to assess the effects of sleep deprivation on psychomotor ability. Visual reaction time (VRT) is the time a person takes to respond after presenting a visual stimulus.
Objective: To find out the association of duration of sleep with visual reaction time.
Materials and methods: The current study was done on first year dental students. For Visual Reaction Time (VRT) red color picture is used and the duration of time to press the spacebar is recorded.
Results: VRT in students who slept less than 7 hours is more than the students who slept for 7-8 hours. The difference between the two groups is statistically significant that is p value < 0.05. Conclusion: Present study confirms that lack of sleep increases Visual Reaction time due to lack of concentration and cognitive slowing.
Conclusion: Present study confirms that lack of sleep increases Visual Reaction time due to lack of concentration and cognitive slowing